UJobe 15
1 Wasephendula uElifazi umThemani wathi:
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,
2 Ohlakaniphileyo angaphendula yini ulwazi olungumoya, agcwalise isisu sakhe ngomoya wempumalanga?
“Should a wise man answer with vain knowledge, and fill himself with the east wind?
3 Aphikise ngamazwi angasizi lutho, langenkulumo ezingelanzuzo yini?
Should he reason with unprofitable talk, or with speeches with which he can do no good?
4 Yebo, wena uyachitha ukwesaba, uvimbela umkhuleko phambi kukaNkulunkulu.
Yes, you do away with fear, and hinder devotion before God.
5 Ngoba umlomo wakho ufundisa ububi bakho, ukhethe ulimi lwamaqili.
For your iniquity teaches your mouth, and you choose the language of the crafty.
6 Umlomo wakho uyakulahla, kayisimi; yebo, indebe zakho ziyafakaza ngawe.
Your own mouth condemns you, and not I. Yes, your own lips testify against you.
7 Ungumuntu wokuqala owazalwayo yini? Kumbe wazalwa mandulo kwamaqaqa yini?
“Are you the first man who was born? Or were you brought out before the hills?
8 Uzwile yini icebo langasese likaNkulunkulu? Kumbe uzigodlele inhlakanipho yini?
Have you heard the secret counsel of God? Do you limit wisdom to yourself?
9 Kuyini okwaziyo esingakwaziyo? Kuyini okuqedisisayo okungekho kithi?
What do you know that we don’t know? What do you understand which is not in us?
10 Kukhona phakathi kwethu lempunga lekhehla, omdala ngensuku kuloyihlo.
With us are both the gray-headed and the very aged men, much older than your father.
11 Zincinyane yini kuwe induduzo zikaNkulunkulu, lelizwi elikhulunywa kuhle lawe?
Are the consolations of God too small for you, even the word that is gentle toward you?
12 Kungani inhliziyo yakho ikumukisa? Njalo kungani amehlo akho ephayiza,
Why does your heart carry you away? Why do your eyes flash,
13 ukuthi uphendule umoya wakho umelane loNkulunkulu, ukhuphe amazwi anje emlonyeni wakho?
that you turn your spirit against God, and let such words go out of your mouth?
14 Umuntu uyini ukuthi abe ngohlambulukileyo, lozelwe ngowesifazana ukuthi abe ngolungileyo?
What is man, that he should be clean? What is he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?
15 Khangela, kathembeli kwabangcwele bakhe, lamazulu kawahlambulukanga emehlweni akhe.
Behold, he puts no trust in his holy ones. Yes, the heavens are not clean in his sight;
16 Kukangakanani umuntu onengekayo lowonakeleyo, onatha ububi njengamanzi!
how much less one who is abominable and corrupt, a man who drinks iniquity like water!
17 Ngizakutshengisa, ungilalele, lengikubonileyo ngizakulandisa,
“I will show you, listen to me; that which I have seen I will declare
18 lokho izihlakaniphi ezikukhulumileyo kusukela kuboyise, njalo kazikufihlanga,
(which wise men have told by their fathers, and have not hidden it;
19 okwanikwa kuzo zodwa ilizwe, lokungadlulanga izihambi phakathi kwazo.
to whom alone the land was given, and no stranger passed among them):
20 Insuku zonke zokhohlakeleyo uzizwisa ubuhlungu, lenani leminyaka ebekelelwe umcindezeli.
the wicked man writhes in pain all his days, even the number of years that are laid up for the oppressor.
21 Umsindo wezethuso usendlebeni zakhe; empumelelweni umchithi uzamfikela.
A sound of terrors is in his ears. In prosperity the destroyer will come on him.
22 Kakholwa ukuthi uzaphenduka emnyameni, kodwa ukuthi ulindelwe yinkemba.
He doesn’t believe that he will return out of darkness. He is waited for by the sword.
23 Uzulela ukudla. Kungaphi? Uyazi ukuthi usuku lobumnyama lulungisiwe esandleni sakhe.
He wanders abroad for bread, saying, ‘Where is it?’ He knows that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.
24 Uhlupho losizi kuyamethusa, kumehlule njengenkosi elungele impi.
Distress and anguish make him afraid. They prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle.
25 Ngoba welule isandla sakhe emelene loNkulunkulu, wenza ngamandla ukumelana loSomandla.
Because he has stretched out his hand against God, and behaves himself proudly against the Almighty,
26 Wagijima emelene laye ngentamo, ngohlonzi lwamaqhubu ezihlangu zakhe.
he runs at him with a stiff neck, with the thick shields of his bucklers,
27 Ngoba wambomboza ubuso bakhe ngamafutha akhe, wenza ukhalo lwakhukhumala ngamafutha.
because he has covered his face with his fatness, and gathered fat on his thighs.
28 Uhlala emizini echithekileyo, izindlu abangahlali kuzo, ezilungele ukuba zinqumbi.
He has lived in desolate cities, in houses which no one inhabited, which were ready to become heaps.
29 Kayikunotha, lenotho yakhe kayiyikuma, lenzuzo yakhe kayiyikusabalala emhlabeni.
He will not be rich, neither will his substance continue, neither will their possessions be extended on the earth.
30 Kayikusuka emnyameni; ilangabi lizakomisa ihlumela lakhe, njalo uzasuka ngokuphefumula komoya wakhe.
He will not depart out of darkness. The flame will dry up his branches. He will go away by the breath of God’s mouth.
31 Oduhisiweyo kangathembeli ezenini, ngoba ize lizakuba ngumvuzo wakhe.
Let him not trust in emptiness, deceiving himself, for emptiness will be his reward.
32 Kuzafezwa kungakabi lusuku lwakhe, logatsha lwakhe aluyikuba luhlaza.
It will be accomplished before his time. His branch will not be green.
33 Uzawohloza izithelo zakhe ezingavuthwanga njengevini, athintithe impoko zakhe njengesihlahla somhlwathi.
He will shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and will cast off his flower as the olive tree.
34 Ngoba inhlangano yabazenzisi izakuba ngengelazithelo, lomlilo uzaqothula amathente ezivalamlomo.
For the company of the godless will be barren, and fire will consume the tents of bribery.
35 Bamitha uhlupho, bazale isono, lesizalo sabo silungisa inkohliso.
They conceive mischief and produce iniquity. Their heart prepares deceit.”
